Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be hypnotised?

Yes. Just about everyone can be hypnotised. Some people are more susceptible than others, but everyone goes into natural trance states on a daily basis. The trance state is a natural phenomenon which occurs numerous times throughout each person’s day, such as when day-dreaming or when driving a car and suddenly realising you had not been aware of the journey for the previous while. Being hypnotised is usually done by relaxing the client until a light trance is induced. A hypnotherapist cannot force you to go into trance against your will.

Can I speak whilst hypnotised?

Yes. Only a light trance is used for therapeutic purposes and some therapies require responses from the client.

What is being in trance, like?

Trance will be experienced slightly differently by everyone. In general, you will feel relaxed but still aware of whatever is going on around you – my voice or other noises. Although it is not the same as sleep, many people feel refreshed whilst others feel little difference after being in trance. Most people comment on what a pleasant experience it was.

Is hypnosis safe?

Yes. If there was any problem at any time a person would naturally come out of trance. There is very little that could go wrong in the hands of a professional therapist, whilst sitting relaxed, in a comfortable chair, listening to the therapist’s words. Hypnosis is a proven method for quickly and effectively providing treatment for many issues and helps to bring health and harmony to mind, body and spirit.

Will I be aware of what is happening?

Yes. Hypnosis is not the same as being asleep. You will be able to hear noises that occur around you and if at anytime you wished to exit trance you would be able to. You are likely to remember some of what was said but probably not every word. This is normal. After all, even under non-trance situations, it is extremely unlikely you would remember everything that had been said for an hour period or more.

Will I be in control?

Yes. You will be in full control at all times. No one can control your mind unless you let them. The therapist guides you to the resolution of your issue and cannot make you do anything you do not want to do. Your unconscious protects you and so will not allow you to accept any suggestions that go against your ethics or morals. It can be likened to the client driving a car with the therapist sitting beside them navigating. If the therapist says “turn left” and the client doesn’t want to, they will continue driving straight ahead.

Could I remain hypnotised?

No. If trance was not terminated, the person would either fall asleep and awaken naturally or they would simply get bored and get up and leave.

Do you use drugs?

No. Never. Hypnosis is a natural state and does not require drugs of any sort.

Can you help with medical issues?

Yes – very often. It is, however, imperative that you first consult your Doctor regarding the issue. Many problems of a physical nature, including controlling pain, respond well to hypnosis.

What can I expect to happen?

You will be made to feel comfortable, at ease and any questions you have will be answered. You will be asked questions about yourself and your issue. The process of expected treatment will be explained. At this stage, you may be gently guided into trance by listening to my voice, so that your mind and body are relaxed. Various techniques may then be used for the benefit of the client and when appropriate the trance terminated. There will then be a discussion about the experiences you had and if necessary, how we need to proceed. Finally, payment for the session is made and any further appointments agreed.

How often will I need to see you?

This depends on the type of problem and the progress made. Some simple problems can be resolved in 1 or 2 hours. Sometimes, with more deep-rooted issues, longer is required. On occasions, this can require regular weekly or fortnightly sessions for a period. Each person and each presenting problem is unique and will be treated as such. This means it can be difficult to say in advance that everyone with a similar issue will need the same length of treatment. Please call me to discuss your particular situation and I will be happy to offer free advice. Also, see examples of recent successes by clicking the Press button and having a look at the Success Stories page. This shows how long it took to resolve a particular issue with that individual.

Has any research been done to substantiate the beneficial effects of Hypnotherapy?

Many years of questioning can be answered by the scientific research which is now being carried out. The evidence shows that important brain functions change when somebody is hypnotised. Using functional brain imaging, John Gruzelier, a psychologist at Imperial College in London, recently found that hypnosis affects parts of the brain that respond to errors, evaluate emotional outcomes and are involved with processing and behaviour.

The finding is one of the first to indicate a biological mechanism underpinning the experience of hypnosis. Gruzelier and his colleagues studied brain activity using an fMRI while subjects completed a standard cognitive exercise. He concluded that, under hypnosis, these brain areas are working harder. “This is confirming our model of hypnosis with very direct evidence of brain function,” he says. Peter Naish, at the UK’s Open University, says “We have a technique that has now moved towards evidence-based treatments. Gruzelier’s work is showing that the brain is doing quite different things under hypnosis than in normal everyday existence.”

Another study, with 80 children in Greece, all with cancer, showed that those under hypnosis suffered less pain than the control group who had simply been engaged in comforting conversation. The children were undergoing treatments such as lumbar punctures – where a long needle is inserted into the spine – and they were suffering continual pain from cancer. Dr Christina Liossi of the University of Wales in Swansea said “Hypnosis improves the quality of life for children and adults with cancer. We now have experimental evidence that hypnosis is an intervention, at least with children who undergo painful treatment procedures.” Although hypnotherapy is made available as an alternative therapy, the work by Dr Liossi suggests that it should become part of standard practice. She is now about to start a second full study in Swansea.

How effective is hypnotherapy for smoking cessation?

Research comparing many different studies of hypnotherapy has shown that on average smokers are over 5 times more likely to break the habit with hypnosis than by willpower alone. Hypnotherapy in general, is also proven to be more than twice as effective compared with nicotine gum. If you really want to stop smoking, then one session of hypnotherapy could be all you need.

How does Cognitive Hypnotherapy compare to other forms of Therapy?

This graph shows the results of the biggest and most influential meta-analysis of studies conducted (by Smith et al. in 1980) to show the effectiveness of the different therapeutic approaches. It shows that cognitive and hypnotherapy approaches are by far the most effective.

How long do the results last?

NLP’s results are usually long lasting. This is particularly true if NLP and Cognitive Hypnotherapy are used in combination. It is also helpful to address the emotional events as specifically as possible. There are often many negative emotions associated with one issue. By clearing one of these emotions does not therefore mean that the treatment is concluded. It may be necessary to deal with all these emotions before the full benefit can be achieved.

How long does the treatment take?

This depends on the type of issue and the progress made. Some simple problems can be resolved very quickly, with most anxiety-based problems responding in 1-4 sessions. Sometimes, with more deep-rooted issues, longer is required. On occasions, this can require regular weekly or fortnightly sessions for a period. Each person and each presenting problem is unique and will be treated as such. This means it can be difficult to say in advance that everyone with a similar issue will need the same length of treatment. Please call me to discuss your particular situation and I will be happy to offer free advice. Also, see examples of recent successes by clicking the Press button and having a look at the Success Stories page. This shows how long it took to resolve a particular issue with that individual.

What can I expect?

You will be made to feel comfortable and any questions you have will be answered. You will be asked questions about yourself and your issue. The process of expected treatment will be explained. Once the originating negative emotions are identified using NLP processes it will then be possible to re-programme the mind so that you can think, feel and behave in ways that will support you in the future. We will discuss the experiences you had and if necessary, how we need to proceed. Finally, payment for the session is made and any further appointments agreed.

What is the background of NLP?

This technique has been around now for over 30 years and has helped hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life to realise their potential and dreams. Richard Bandler and John Grinder, the Fathers of NLP, started by asking “How do people do that?”. They studied how people who were excellent in their field, achieved the results they did. They noticed certain patterns which could be used by others to improve individual performance in many areas. As a result of this initial curiosity, many techniques have been developed to improve people’s lives. NLP provides the tools to adapt the behaviours that are not bringing you the results you want, into those that can.

State of the art methods are used for career planning, managing stress, performance coaching – the possibilities are endless. It works on the principle that we have all the resources we need within to be different – we can find immense benefit in resolving issues by rediscovering these ‘inner’ resources and you’ll be surprised at how easy this actually is to do!

Where does the three-part name come from?

Neuro – the thought processes and physical reactions, which are known as our behaviours, resulting from our neurological responses to the information provided by our five senses.

Linguistic – the communication with others and the ordering of our thoughts and behaviours through the use of language – both internally and externally. It is how our perceptions are affected by the words we use.

Programming – the results produced from the ways we choose to organise our thoughts and actions. This enables us to “re-programme” so we can change our lives in the way we want by changing our thinking and behaviour.

How long do the results last?

EFT’s results are almost always permanent. This is particularly true if the emotional events are addressed as specifically as possible. If a given emotional problem does appear to “come back,” however, it is usually due to a related issue that wasn’t addressed in the first place or the original problem was addressed too globally and thus only partially neutralized. Physical healings are often impressive and long lasting as well, but are more likely to re-emerge than emotional issues.

Often a physical ailment (headache, backache, stomach upset, etc.) acts as a physical manifestation of an emotional issue. Thus what appears to “come back” is simply the same physical ailment reacting to a different emotional issue.

How long does the treatment take?

While some problems require persistence with the technique over a period of time, many issues can be resolved very quickly with most general anxiety-based problems responding in 1-4 sessions. Persistence frequently results in complete relief. Also, see examples of recent successes by clicking the Press button and having a look at the Success Stories page. This shows how long it took to resolve a particular issue with that individual.

Are drugs used?

No. Never. No drugs or equipment are ever involved.

Are EFT’s results due to either placebo effects or distraction?

No. Placebo effects require some belief in the process and this is rarely the case with EFT. Although EFT may appear to be distracting, it will not work if the client is, in fact, distracted. That is why the client continually repeats a reminder phrase which “tunes in” to the problem.

When EFT relieves pain, does it merely mask the pain?

Many people have reduced or eliminated their pains with EFT but no one has indicated that the pain was “merely masked”. The use of medication often masks symptoms but by contrast, EFT is not a medication and does not enter any artificial substance into the bloodstream. If EFT doesn’t solve the problem by eliminating the cause, then the physical discomfort will re-appear. This usually indicates the need for more rounds of EFT on other aspects.

What is the background of EFT?

The presence and flow of energy around the body has been used by many cultures, notably the Indian and Chinese, and EFT is a true combination of Eastern and Western medicine.

EFT evolved from Thought Field Therapy, which was created by US clinical psychologist Roger Callahan. Callahan discovered that stimulating acupressure / energy points led to psychological relief for an anxious client, and through experimentation was able to discover a series of useful points.

Gary Craig, who studied with Callahan, identified a comprehensive set of “all purpose” energy points that could be applied to treat any emotional problem. He called this Emotional Freedom Technique, and achieved excellent results with this approach on a wide range of emotional as well as physical problems.

Has any research been done to substantiate the beneficial effects of EFT?

EFT is now proved to be an “evidence-based” practice and meets APA standards. This is summarized in the following statement in the APA (American Psychological Association) journal Review of General Psychology:

‘A literature search identified 50 peer-reviewed papers that report or investigate clinical outcomes following the tapping of acupuncture points to address psychological issues. The 17 randomized controlled trials in this sample were critically evaluated for design quality, leading to the conclusion that they consistently demonstrated strong effect sizes and other statistical results that far exceed chance after relatively few treatment sessions. Criteria for evidence-based treatments proposed by Division 12 of the American Psychological Association were also applied and found to be met for a number of conditions, including PTSD.’

Some excellent results are being reported in research studies being conducted worldwide on EFT. A study at Curtin University in Western Australia in 1999 found EFT to be successful in treating specific phobias and the results were superior to a more traditional treatment. Behavioural shifts achieved in the 30-minute treatment sessions were maintained at follow-up 6-9 months later.

Researchers in the USA are mapping the physiological effects of the approach and finding that major changes can occur when people tap on the meridian points. Most people start to relax almost immediately and report that their traumatic experiences are less bothersome after EFT treatment.

A study on auto accident victims suffering PTSD found significant reductions in symptoms following 2 sessions of EFT treatment, and a study on children diagnosed with epilepsy found significant reductions in seizure frequency and extensive clinical improvement in EEG readings after 2 weeks of daily EFT treatment. These and other studies in progress indicate a very high success rate for the approach.